Основы теории английского языка. Листунова Е.И. - 75 стр.

      When the subject of the sentence is a gerundial phrase, it is
sometimes placed after the predicate. Then the sentence begins. with
the antici patory it:
      It had been just splendid meeting you here (Galsworthy). It was no
good worrying (Galsworthy). It’s no use crying over spilt milk.
      Nîte. — The gerund may be used as subject in the construction
there is no...:
      When she took a thing into her head there was no stopping her
(Galsworthy) (...åe íåëüçÿ áûëî îñòàíîâèòü). ...There’s no denying
the fact, says he... (Jerome).
      2. As predicative:
      Deciding is acting. Her aim is mastering English in the shortest
time possible. His first job was getting her tea (Cusack).
      3. As part of a compound verbal predicate, associated with the
finite form of verbs denoting the beginning, the duration or the end
of an action, such as to begin, to start, to burst out, to go on, to keep
(on), to continue, to stop, to leave off, to finish, to give up, to have
done (= to finish), etc.
      Also with some verbs which have modal meaning, such as:
      to intend, to try, to attempt, and with can’t help. The verbs to
begin, to start, to continue, to intend, to try and to attempt may also be
followed by an infinitive (see «The Infinitive»).
      A cuckoo began calling from a thorn tree (Galsworthy). And do
leave off worrying about him, papa (Conrad). It was by this time half-
past five, and the sun was on the point of rising... (Bronte). Anthony
finished cutting and buttering the rolls (Gordon). She went on sketch-
ing, I went on thinking (Bronte). He looked up and burst out laugh-
ing (Voynich). ...The frost kept snapping the little twigs on either side
of them, as they passed... (Wilde). I can’t help feeling the parting with
him... (Kingsley). Stop talking! Have you done writing?
      Note. — When to stop is followed by an infinitive, the latter has
the function of an adverbial modifier of purpose:
      He put down the flowers and stopped to pat the dog (Voynich).
Here the old gentleman stopped to laugh; and having done so, to his
heart’s content, presently resumed... (Dickens).
      4. As direct object:
      a) To verbs associated only with the gerund, such as: to avoid,
to delay, to put off, to postpone, to mind (negative and interrogative
forms), to excuse, to fancy, to want (= to need), to require, to need:

                                 – 75 –